Jeffrey L. WilsonKiller Instinct (for PC)Killer Instinct took a while to appear on PC, but the feature-packed fighter is worth the wait. However, the season-based release structure may proving vexing due to its expense.

Fun, combo-heavy fighting system. Numerous characters. Incredible particle effects. Jail system for rage-quitters. Can play for free, with character limitations.

Cons

Expensive seasonal release model. Character models could use more detail.

Bottom Line

Killer Instinct took a while to appear on PC, but the feature-packed fighter is worth the wait. However, the season-based release structure may proving vexing due to its expense.

When Killer Instinct debuted for Windows 10 in March 2016, it represented the latest chapter in the continued PC fighting game renaissance. With its arrival, Microsoft's combo-heavy, one-on-one game of fisticuffs joined the likes of Blazblue, Guilty Gear, The King of Fighters, and Street Fighter and other high-profile series that now grace the personal computer. Thankfully, Iron Galaxy—the development team that picked up the Killer Instinct reigns after Double Helix, the original developer, was purchased by Amazon—has delivered a remarkably fun title that's more than worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as its well-received competition. And you can even start playing it for free.

Killer Instinct has a combo-friendly engine that caters to both noobs and pros, incredibly detailed graphics that boast ridiculous particle effects, and an over-the-top announcer who screams your accomplishments at the top of his lungs. Killer Instinct's an incredibly fun fighter, but its money-sucking season-based release schedule may prevent it from becoming a PC game with mass appeal.

Incremental Instinct

Killer Instinct on PC is nearly the same game as its Xbox One counterpart. It's a title that I reviewed a few years back on Microsoft's home console, so this review focuses on the updated PC-centric feature set.

The most obvious difference between the two versions is the graphical output: Killer Instinct for Xbox One renders at 4K resolution, while Killer Instinct on Xbox One renders at 900p—if you've purchased Season 2 or Season 3, that is. Killer Instinct Season 1 doesn't even boast that lower graphics resolution, so you'll be slumming it in the 720p gutter.

Unlike other most other respected fighting games, Killer Instinct is, technically, a free-to-play title. The upside is that you can give the game a go before deciding to open your wallet. You'll be limited to using one rotating character, but you can otherwise take a deep, nearly unrestricted dive into the game's many options and features. If you want additional characters, you can purchase them piecemeal for $4.99 a pop or opt for one of the character packs. This pricing model is where Killer Instinct's potential annoyances come to light.

Seasonal Shenanigans

The $19.99 Combo Breaker Pack contains Season 3's eight characters, including Battletoads' Rash and Halo's Arbiter, along with the extras released throughout the year. This introductory pack lets you explore Killer Instinct's range of oddball characters at a reasonable price. Moving up the ladder is the $39.99 Ultra Edition, which adds eight retro costumes and bonus character colors. Finally, the top-level, $59.99 Supreme Edition includes Season 1 and Season 2's fighters (bringing the total to 25 characters), early access to other fighters released during the season, and 20 stages. There's also a discounted $29.99 Double Combo Bundle that includes Season 1 and Season 2's fighters. The PC version doesn't offer Killer Instinct Classic and Killer Instinct 2 Classic bonus games, ports of the popular arcade titles, which come bundled with the Xbox One version.

I've dinged Capcom's Street Fighter V for its season passes, and Killer Instinct's scheme deserves similar scorn. The seasonal release model is a way for Microsoft to slow-drip money from our collective wallets. For example, if I buy the $59.99 bundle that includes all the released seasons, I'll miss out on a hypothetical Killer Instinct Season 4—unless I shell out additional cash. I'm not too keen on spending close to $100 on a fighting game. That said, fighting games are character-driven products, so Microsoft's seasonal releases may keep the hardcore fanbase interested over the game's lifespan.

PC Pugilism

On the upside, Killer Instinct Season 3 is part of Microsoft's Xbox Play Anywhere initiative, so if you buy the PC version, you'll receive the Xbox One version, in digital form, as a bonus—an excellent, inspired move by Microsoft to unite its gaming platforms. Your saves, DLC purchases, and achievements are available on both platforms, too. Even better, Killer Instinct supports Cross Play, so PC and console gamers can battle each other.

Fighting games aren't very demanding titles, and Killer Instinct is no different. Your gaming rig needs at least a 2.67GHz Intel Core i5-750 CPU or 3.4GHz AMD Phenom II X4 965 CPU, a Nvidia GeForce GTX 480 or AMD Radeon HD 5850 GPU, 4GB of system RAM, and the Windows 10 operating system, which is a requirement for running Xbox games on PC.

My beast machine far exceeds those specs and, as expected, runs Killer Instinct like a charm. The game runs at a silky 60 frames per second, even with Anti-aliasing, Motion Blur, Reflections, and the ludicrous particle effects activated.

The particle effects are a particularly sexy aspect of Killer Instinct's graphics. Hurled fireballs explode into a cascade of screen-filling sparks upon hitting their targets, which is the appropriate spectacle for a game featuring a werewolf, dinosaur, robot, and ninja fighting for dubious reasons. Killer Instinct is a pretty game when it's running at recommended specs, but the character models aren't nearly as detailed or well-animated as those of Street Fighter V.

The gameplay, however, remains exceptional. This version retains the useful jail system, insane combos, thrilling Combo Breakers, tactical Counter Breakers, excellent training modes, and AI-powered Shadow Fighters that recall the Drivatars in Forza Horizon 3. Please read our review of the Xbox One version for more information on these features.

The Killer Cut

It took a while for Microsoft to bring Killer Instinct to PC, but the timing, in retrospect, is perfect. Should you buy the $59.99 Supreme Edition, you'll receive a well-rounded package that's more a finished product than Street Fighter V—it has a true Arcade Mode, for instance! I'm not fan of Killer Instinct's greedy season pass structure, but it's hard to ignore the quality on display. Genre fans should give it a try, though more casual players may instead want to check out Mortal Kombat XL, a robust package that may the best all-around fighter in this generation.

For more than a decade, Jeffrey L. Wilson has penned gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for a variety of publications, including 1UP, 2D-X, The Cask, Laptop, LifeStyler, Parenting, Sync, Wise Bread, and WWE. He now brings his knowledge and skillset to PCMag as Senior Analyst.
When he isn't staring at a monitor (or two) and churning out Web hosting, music, utilities, and video game copy, Jeffrey mentors, practices Jeet Kune Do, blogs, podcasts, and speaks at the occasional con. He also collects vinyl and greatly enjoys...
More »